Automobile signal



May 31, 1932. R FLEEK 1,861,306

AUTOMOBILE S IGNAL Filed Oct. 5, 1928 s Sheets-Sheet 1 i H TN H N d 1:1. U k

27 5 9 1:1 1:1 d: H H l X E. Eileen INVENTOR ATTORNEY May 31, 1932.

R. E. FLEEK 1,861,306

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL Filed Oct. 5, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 E FZQQW ATTO R NEYMay 31, 1932. R. E. FLEEK 6 1? I AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL Filed Oct. 5. 1928 I5Sheets-Sheet 3 {GI/149.9. E'fifi WWW M:

KFHME H 2 2 ET E NH] N llllliiii Fmfi FAT {jg !EEEEEEi| T E? H N U [N EFilLLE F W Patented May 31, 1932 ROY E. FLEEK, OF OIL CITY, PENNSYLVANIAAUTOMOBILE SIGNAL Application filed October 5, 1928.

This invention relates to a directional signal for motor vehicles andthe like, the general object of the invention being to provide means forindicating when the vehicle is to stop or is to be turned to the rightor left.

A further object of the invention is to provide a casing having a platein its front stenciled with upper and lower groups of characters, theupper group forming the composite word Stop and Turning and the lowergroup forming the composite word Right and Left, with means within thecasing and including electric lamps, so arranged that when one circuitis closed the characters forming the word Stop will be illuminated andwhen the second circuit is closed, the characters forming the wordsTurning right will be illuminated and when the third circuit is closed,the characters form ing the words Turning left will be illuminated.

A further object of the invention is to provide the device with theordinary tail light.

This invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawingsand specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure lis a front View of the device.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken immediately in rear of thestenciled plate.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken immediately in rear of the.first chambered plate.

Figure 4 is a rear view of the second chambered plate.

Figure 5 is a top, plan view, with the top of the casing broken away.

Figure 6 is a section on line 66 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a section on line 77 of Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Figure 1.

Serial No. 310,544.

Figure 9 is a view showing the Turning right signal illuminated.

Figure 10 is a View showing the signal Turning left illuminated.

Figure 11 is a view showing the signal illuminated.

Figure 12 is a diagrammatic view of the circuits.

In these views, the numeral 1 indicates the casing of the device whichisadapted to be fastened to any suitable part of a motor vehicle or thelike at the rear thereof, said casing having its .ends stepped, asshown, so that the upper part of the casing is longer than its centralportion and the central portion is longer than the lower portion. Thisreduced lower portion forms a chamber for the tail, lamp 2 and the frontof this chamber is closed by the usual red lens 3. The

front of the casing above the tail lamp part 1 is open and a transparentplate 4 covers the opening. A stenciled plate 5 rests against the rearface of the transparent plate, and this plate 5 is stenciled with upperand lower groups of characters, the upper group 6 forming either theword Stop or the word Turning and the lower group 7 forming either theword Right or the word Left. A plate 8, having the partitions 9 thereon,is placed in the casing with the free edges of the partitions engagingthe stenciled plate 5, and a second plate 10, having the partitions llthereon, is placed in the casin with the edges of its partitionsengaging t e rear of the plate 8. Spaces 12 are placed between the rearof this plate 10 and the rear cover plate 13 of the casing so as to forma chamber A at the rear of the casing. The par titions 11 on the plate10 form two chambers B and C, the chamber C being below the chamber B,with one chamber extending beyond the end of the other chamber and thetwo chambers being in communication with each other through the smallopening 11.

A chamber D is formed between the plates 8 and 10 by the end partitions11 and the walls of the casing 1. At the opposite end of the casing, theplate 10 extends a short distance into the top step of the casing, whilethis end of the plate 8 has an opening 14 this s-witch may bearthreesway one.

therein so that a lateral extension A of chamber A is formed at the lefthand end of the casing which places this chamber A in register with thecharacter S of the upper group of characters 6. The top parts of boththe plates 10 and 8 and their upper partitions are recessed to form thepassage 15 which places the chamber A in communicationwith an arc-shapedslot 16 formed in the stenciled plate over the character U in the uppergroup of characters (S -so as to form-the char acter O when this slotand the U forming slot are illuminated.

The rear part of the plate between .the

, passage and the left hand end ofthe plate lS'-IOll'l1(ld,' as shownat: 17, and a. lamp; 18 is placed on this rounded :portion. so that therays-of light. therefrom will passithrough the extension A"andthrough-the passage 15 toilluminate the characteWS andtheslot 16.

Electric bulbs 19 are carried. by theplate 10 on the front face of theplate, some of'these bulbsibeing designated. at B others-beingdesignated L and one of the bulbs being desigr nated S. As. will beseen, there are three bulbs in chamber B designedR, S and Lrespectively: andthere are two bulbs in the chamber G designatedrespectively B and L and thereare also two bulbs in chamber D designatedR and L respectively. The R bulb inchamber B is placed partly in thepassage 11. As shown in Figure 12, the bulb Sin chamber B and .the bulb18 in chamber A- are arranged in a.- circuit. a. The three L bulbs. arearranged in aicircuit designated by the letter Z) and the three Rbulbssare arranged in a-circuitindicatedat 0. A switch 20 is arrangedin. each circuit. If desired, This Figure 12 also shows'thecircuitdcontaining aswit-ch 21 for the tail lamp 2.. Theconductors for thesebulbs pass through an opening 22 formed in the rear cover plate 13 andare connected with the'battery of the car or other suitable source.

The partitions 9 on. plate 8 divide the same into the chambers EandF-and intoa small L-shaped'chamber G which projects into the chamberrE."The plate 8 isv formed with an opening 23 arranged immediately above theupper end of the partitions forming the chamber G and this opening isdirectly in front of the R lamp in chamber B. Asecond opening 24 isarranged in the right hand end of thechamber E and .is located-infrontof the R lamp in chamber-G. A- pairofopenings 25 is formed in plate8 in cha'mberF and one of. these openings is in frontof the L .lamp inchamber D and-the otheris. in front of the R- ;lamp, in'said chamber D.The plate 8 is also formed with the. slotsor openings 26 whichiare ofrespective- T, Uand-P shape and: these-.1 openings communicate with lthe :chamberrB -and;they are in; alignment with the characters T, U andthe P forming part of the composite character PR on the stenciled plate5. The slot 27 in said plate 5 which converts the P into an R isarranged in the left hand extension F of the chamber E and thecharacters NING are in communication with said chamber E. Anli=shapedislot28=is formed inplate-8 and places the chamber G incommunication with the chamber C and this slot 28 is in alignment Withthe clraracter lj'in the lower group of characters 7 on the stenciledplate. The Yertical'slot'29 in the stenciled plate, arranged adj acentthe character L therein, is in communication with the chamber E. Theplate 8 lSrTOIII'lGd with theone verticaland two horizontal slots:30which are. arranged in; theright hand 1 end of 'the -lowerpart ofchamberE and. these slots: are; in a communication with the: chamber G. A-block.31 isarranged on the; plate 8v and engages-the stenciled plate andislocated between ;-the horizontal slots 30 and an opening 332. passesthrough the block and the plate8 and isincommunicationwith the chamberGand'h as its front end.registering with a. .slot- 33 in the stenciledplate which forms -a part" of the composite character. EG and-isxusedtoform the letter E when the:Left turning signal is-being" used. An angleshapedslotfi t also forms part, of. this composite character. andisincommunicationwith the right hand partof chamber. E and-forms thetletter'G -when the Right turning. signal .is being. used.

A .vertical slot' 35-and a short horizontal slot 36 are formed in plate8 in the right hand part of: chamber- E. and communicate with cl iamber.G, and these slots are. in register with .the first partiofthecomposite'letter HE in thev lower group of characters on the stenciledplate, the rear part of this composite. character: being incommunication with ithe chambenE. Abl00k-37 .is arranged in the rightliand part of chamberE in plate 8 and a slot\88 ,passesthrough thisblockand through the plat-ev 8 and is in communication witlrthechamber.andthis slot- 38 is. in register. with a: slot 39 formed in the.stenciled plate between the -upper ends of. the two partsof the.character 26in the group 7. The character T ofthis group is in.communication' with thelowerpartof the chamber.F. I l

, EIQIllillhQ foregoing it. will be. seenthat when the switch 20 incircuit a is closed, currentwill passto thelamp 18 on .the rear part ofthe plate 10 and to the S lampin-chamber Bsothat; the rays oflight fromlamp 18'will pass through the extension A? of chamber A thus illuminatethe character- S of the upper group of characters on the stenciled plate5 and somev of-the rays ofslight. from this lamp will pass through thepassage 15 and through;the arc-shaped slot 16. in the stenciled plate.The rays of light from the S lamp in chamber B will pass through theslots 26 which form respectively the letters T, U and P and through thecharacters T, U and P on the stenciled plate, so that the word Stop willbe illuminated, the rays of light passing through the slot 16 convertingthe U into an O and as the slot 27 in the stenciled plate is out ofalignment with the chamber E, no rays of light will pass through thisslot, so that the character P is formed. Thus the Stop signal will begiven. When the circuit d is closed, the three L lamps will be lightedand the rays of light from the L lamp in chamber B will pass through theslots 26 and the registering character forming slots in the stenciledplate so as to illuminate the letters T, U and P, while the rays oflight from the L lamp in chamber D will pass through one of the openings25 into the chamber F and will pass through the slot 27 in the stenciledplate, thus completing the illumination of the letter R and alsoilluminating the letters N ING, so that the word Turning is formed. Therays of light from the L lamp in chamber C will pass through the slot 28and the character L on the stenciled plate and some of the rays of lightfrom this lamp will pass through the slots 30 as well as the hole 32,thus illuminating the E character, and some of the rays of light fromthis lamp will pass through the slots 25, 36 and 38, thus illuminatingthe F character and the T character will be illuminated by the rays oflight from the L lamp in chamber D passing into chamber F and throughthe T character. Thus the word Left is illuminated in the lower group ofcharacters, so that the complete signal will read Turning left.

When the circuit 0 is closed, the R lamps will be lighted, which willilluminate the word Turning in the first group of characters, as beforedescribed, and some of the rays of light from these lamps will passthrough the openings 23, 24 and 25 in the plate 8 and illuminate thecharacters forming the word Right in the lower group of characters, thusgiving the signal Turning right. As will be seen, this invention willgive the three signals Stop, Turning right and Turning left, with acasing of comparatively small size and of few parts so that the devicewill present a neat and attractive appearance and will not be awkward insize, as it would be if the signal words were arranged separately.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages andnovel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction andin the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided thatsuch changes fall within the scope of the appended claim,

What I claim is A direction signal comprising a casing having an openfront and provided with the ends thereof stepped to form the easing intoportions of different lengths, a stencilled plate bearing directioncharacters closing the casing and having letters STORNING for the uppercompartment, and letters RLIGHT for the lower compartment, a dividingplate in said casing to provide a front chamber, partitions carried bythe dividing plate and abutting the stencilled plate to divide thechambers into compartments arranged one above the other and onepartition having an opening to establish communication between saidchambers, a second dividing plate in the casingproviding intermediateand rear chambers, spacing elements between the second dividing plateand the rear wall of the casing, partitions on the second dividing platebearing against the first dividing plate to provide a plurality of lampcompartments, lamps in said compartments, said first dividing platehaving light openings establishing communication between thecompartments of the intermediate and front chambers to permitillumination of the characters by the lamps, said rear chamber extendingabout one of the ends of the intermediate and front chambers and havingone of the characters disposed in front th(reof, and a lamp in the rearchamber, whereby the words Turning or Stop may be selectively displayedfrom the upper compartment and Right or Left from the lower compartment.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ROY E. FLEEK.

